Soil physical, chemical, and gas-flux characterization from Picea mariana stands near Erickson Creek, Alaska
Jonathan A. O’Donnell, Jennifer W. Harden, Kristen L. Manies
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1153
Fire is a particularly important control on the carbon (C) balance of the boreal forest, and fire-return intervals and fire severity appear to have increased since the late 1900s in North America. In addition to the immediate release of stored C to the atmosphere through organic-matter combustion, fire also modifies...
Projected status of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) in the twenty-first century
Chadwick V. Jay, Bruce G. Marcot, David C. Douglas
2011, Polar Biology (34) 1065-1084
Extensive and rapid losses of sea ice in the Arctic have raised conservation concerns for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), a large pinniped inhabiting arctic and subarctic continental shelf waters of the Chukchi and Bering seas. We developed a Bayesian network model to integrate potential effects of...
An individual and a sex odor signature in kittiwakes? Study of the semiochemical composition of preen secretion and preen down feathers
Sarah Leclaire, Thomas Merkling, C. Raynaud, Geraldine Giacinti, J.-M. Bessiere, Scott A. Hatch, Etienne Danchin
2011, Naturwissenschaften (98) 615-624
The importance of olfaction in birds' social behavior has long been denied. Avian chemical signaling has thus been relatively unexplored. The black-legged kittiwake provides a particularly appropriate model for investigating this topic. Kittiwakes preferentially mate with genetically dissimilar individuals, but the cues used to assess genetic characteristics remain unknown. As...
An evaluation of the science needs to inform decisions on Outer Continental Shelf energy development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska
Leslie Holland-Bartels, Brenda Pierce
2011, Circular 1370
The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) was asked to conduct an initial, independent evaluation of the science needs that would inform the Administration's consideration of the right places and the right ways in which to develop oil and gas resources in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), particularly focused on...
An evaluation of the science needs to inform decisions on Outer Continental Shelf energy development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska
Leslie Holland-Bartels, Brenda Pierce
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3048
On March 31, 2010, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a national strategy for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas development. In that announcement, the Administration outlined a three-pronged approach (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2010a): Development: "...expand development and production throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including resource-rich...
Proceedings of a Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Workshop for the Western United States
Lyman Thorsteinson, Derrick Hirsch, David Helweg, Amardeep Dhanju, Joan Barmenski, Richard Ferrero
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1152
Recent scientific and ocean policy assessments demonstrate that a fundamental change in our current management system is required to achieve the long-term health of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes in order to sustain the services and benefits they provide to society. The present (2011) species- and sector-centric way we...
Geophysical, geochemical, and mineralogical data from the Pebble Cu-Au-Mo porphyry deposit area, southwest Alaska: Contributions to assessment techniques for concealed mineral resources
E. D. Anderson, S. M. Smith, S. A. Giles, Matthew Granitto, R. G. Eppinger, P. A. Bedrosian, A. K. Shah, K.D. Kelley, D.L. Fey, B. J. Minsley, P. J. Brown
2011, Data Series 608
In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey began a multidisciplinary study in southwest Alaska to investigate the setting and detectability of mineral deposits in concealed volcanic and glacial terranes. The study area hosts the world-class Pebble porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposit, and through collaboration with the Pebble Limited Partnership, a range of geophysical...
Soil data from different-age Picea mariana stands near Delta Junction, Alaska
Kristen L. Manies, Jennifer W. Harden
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1061
One objective of the U.S. Geological Survey\'s Fate of Carbon in Alaskan Landscapes (FOCAL) project is to study the effects of fire and soil drainage on soil carbon storage in boreal forests. For this purpose, the project has measured the soil carbon content in several chronosequences (time since disturbance) of...
Comparative mitochondrial genetics of North American and Eurasian mergansers with an emphasis on the endangered scaly-sided merganser (Mergus squamatus)
Diana V. Solovyeva, John M. Pearce
2011, Conservation Genetics (12) 839-844
The scaly-sided merganser, Mergus squamatus, is considered one of the most threatened sea duck species in the Palearctic with limited breeding and wintering distribution in China and Russia. To provide information for future conservation efforts, we sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA control region in four species...
Distribution and density of marine birds and mammals along the Kenai Fjords National Park coastline - March 2010
Heather A. Coletti, George G. Esslinger, James L. Bodkin
2011, Report
From March 21, 2010 to March 24, 2010, a winter marine bird and mammal skiff-based survey along the coast of Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) was completed. This was the second winter survey completed for KEFJ since 2008. The primary objectives of the SWAN winter surveys are to characterize the...
Mechanisms influencing changes in lake area in Alaskan boreal forest
Jennifer K. Roach, Brad Griffith, David Verbyla, Jeremy B. Jones
2011, Global Change Biology (17) 2567-2583
During the past ∼50 years, the number and area of lakes have declined in several regions in boreal forests. However, there has been substantial finer-scale heterogeneity; some lakes decreased in area, some showed no trend, and others increased. The objective of this study was to identify the primary mechanisms underlying...
Surficial geologic map of the Noatak National Preserve, Alaska
Thomas D. Hamilton
2011, Scientific Investigations Map 3036
The surficial geologic map of the Noatak National Preserve (NNP) is a compilation that incorporates portions of four published USGS maps (Hamilton, 1980, 1981, 1984a,b), a USGS Open-File Report (Hamilton, 2003), and unpublished field mapping. It covers an area of about 28,700 km2, and includes parts of eight 1:250,000-scale quadrangles....
Tectonic and metallogenic model for northeast Asia
Leonid M. Parfenov, Warren J. Nokleberg, Nikolai A. Berzin, Gombosuren Badarch, Sergy I. Dril, Ochir Gerel, Nikolai A. Goryachev, Alexander I. Khanchuk, Mikhail I. Obolenskiy Kuz’min Obolenskiy, Alexander A., Andrei V. Prokopiev, Vladimir V. Ratkin, Sergey M. Rodionov, Christopher R. Scotese, Vladimir I. Shpikerman, Vladimir F. Timofeev, Onongin Tomurtogoo, Hongquan Yan
Warren J. Nokleberg, editor(s)
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1026
This document describes the digital files in this report that contains a tectonic and metallogenic model for Northeast Asia. The report also contains background materials. This tectonic and metallogenic model and other materials on this report are derived from (1) an extensive USGS Professional Paper, 1765, on the metallogenesis and...
Well log characterization of natural gas hydrates
Timothy S. Collett, Myung W. Lee
2011, Conference Paper, SPWLA 52nd Annual Logging Symposium
In the last 25 years we have seen significant advancements in the use of downhole well logging tools to acquire detailed information on the occurrence of gas hydrate in nature: From an early start of using wireline electrical resistivity and acoustic logs to identify gas hydrate occurrences in wells drilled...
Gulkana Glacier, Alaska-Mass balance, meteorology, and water measurements-1997-2001
Rod S. March, Shad O’Neel
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5046
The measured winter snow, maximum winter snow, net, and annual balances for 1997-2001 in the Gulkana Glacier basin are determined at specific points and over the entire glacier area using the meteorological, hydrological, and glaciological data. We provide descriptions of glacier geometry to aid in estimation of conventional and reference...
Coal database for Cook Inlet and North Slope, Alaska
Gary D. Stricker, Brianne D. Spear, Jennifer M. Sprowl, John D. Dietrich, Michael I. McCauley, Scott A. Kinney
2011, Data Series 599
This database is a compilation of published and nonconfidential unpublished coal data from Alaska. Although coal occurs in isolated areas throughout Alaska, this study includes data only from the Cook Inlet and North Slope areas. The data include entries from and interpretations of oil and gas well logs, coal-core geophysical...
Economic analysis of the 2010 U.S. Geological Survey assessment of undiscovered oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska
Emil D. Attanasi, Philip A. Freeman
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1103
No abstract available....
Ecoregional-scale monitoring within conservation areas, in a rapidly changing climate
Erik A. Beever, Andrea Woodward
2011, Biological Conservation (144) 1255-1257
Long-term monitoring of ecological systems can prove invaluable for resource management and conservation. Such monitoring can: (1) detect instances of long-term trend (either improvement or deterioration) in monitored resources, thus providing an early-warning indication of system change to resource managers; (2) inform management decisions and help assess the effects of...
The Cannery Formation: Devonian to Early Permian arc-marginal deposits within the Alexander Terrane, southeastern Alaska
Susan M. Karl, Paul W. Layer, Anita G. Harris, Peter J. Haeussler, Benita L. Murchey
2011, Professional Paper 1776-B
The Cannery Formation consists of green, red, and gray ribbon chert, siliceous siltstone, graywacke-chert turbidites, and volcaniclastic sandstone. Because it contains early Permian fossils at and near its type area in Cannery Cove, on Admiralty Island in southeastern Alaska, the formation was originally defined as a Permian stratigraphic unit. Similar...
2010 Petroleum resource assessment of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA): GIS play maps
Christopher P. Garrity, David W. Houseknecht, Kenneth J. Bird
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1099
This report provides digital geographic information systems (GIS) files of maps for each of the 24 plays considered in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2010 updated petroleum resource assessment of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) (Houseknecht and others, 2010). These are the sample plays evaluated in a previous...
Developing climate data records and essential climate variables from landsat data
John Dwyer, Thomas P. Dinardo, Douglas M. Muchoney
2011, Conference Paper, 34th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment: the GEOSS era : towards operational environmental monitoring : April 10-15, 2011, Sydney, Australia : proceedings.
The series of Landsat missions has compiled the longest record of satellite observation of the Earth’s land surface, extending for more than 38 years for most areas of the globe. Landsat data are particularly important as long term climate data records because the scale of observation is sufficient to differentiate...
Fossil locations and data for the Taylor Mountains, and parts of the Bethel, Goodnews, and Dillingham quadrangles, southwestern Alaska
Susan M. Karl, R. B. Blodgett, Keith A. Labay, S. E. Box, D. C. Bradley, Marti L. Miller, W. K. Wallace, J.F. Baichtal
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1065
Information about fossils collected by U.S. Geological Survey, State of Alaska, academic, and industry geologists that have been reported in literature or archived in reports from the former U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Paleontology and Stratigraphy are compiled on a plate and table in this report to provide comprehensive paleontologic...
Conceptual ecological models to support detection of ecological change on Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
Andrea Woodward, Erik A. Beever
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1085
More than 31 million hectares of land are protected and managed in 16 refuges by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Alaska. The vastness and isolation of Alaskan refuges give rise to relatively intact and complete ecosystems. The potential for these lands to provide habitat for trust species...
2008 Volcanic activity in Alaska, Kamchatka, and the Kurile Islands: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory
Christina A. Neal, Robert G. McGimsey, James P. Dixon, Cheryl E. Cameron, Anton A. Nuzhdaev, Marina Chibisova
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5243
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, possible eruptions, and volcanic unrest or suspected unrest at seven separate volcanic centers in Alaska during 2008. Significant explosive eruptions at Okmok and Kasatochi Volcanoes in July and August dominated Observatory operations in the summer and autumn. AVO maintained 24-hour staffing at...
A paleoseismic study along the central Denali Fault, Chistochina Glacier area, south-central Alaska
R. D. Koehler, Stephen Personius, David P. Schwartz, Peter J. Haeussler, G. G. Seitz
2011, Report of Investigations of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys 2011-1
In the Chistochina Glacier area of south-central Alaska, the active trace of the Denali fault is well defined by prominent tectonic geomorphology, including scarps, grabens, and mole tracks associated with the 2002 Mw=7.9 Denali fault earthquake. Interpretation of a trench excavated across the 2002 rupture trace places a constraint on...
